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why does my ESOTEC pm-6 start to smoke , when used as a power amp with another pre amp ???


quadklipsh

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After using and enjoying my marantz PM-6 for about 5 months flawlessly , i wanted to test something different . so i connected my other amp ,the Quad 33, to the main-ins of the esotec PM-6....
the typical thudd was audible at the onset ...,which is typical of the quad , one speaker has to burp soon after the other . but hey , there was no sound as the cd player continued to play a song ...
within like 15 seconds , a smallish white smoke emanated from the amplifier ...

quickly switching everything off, Stunned and forlorn , i stood there thinking what in the hell had again happened ...
did i make a mistake again ?????
when i connect the quad 33 to the marantz 2230 , it works just fine .
but this pm-6 just simply ignites when i does the same ....
mements later pm-6 was working fine all on its own , as i disconnected the quad thing and replaced back the internal connections of the pm-6 pre amp and the power section .

now , my query is ...
is it occuring due to some bad resistor goin beserk red hot and smokin ? if yes why ? what circuit is involved ?
or is it due to mismatch between the quad 33 pre amp and the marantz power amp section ????
plz advise!!!!!
thanks in advance .
i would never try this thing again without knowing something about the reasons ....
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yes sure ,
1)
the Quad 33 pre amp has a 4 pin ( star shaped ) output socket which i feed PM-6 through its MAIN INs . .
The back of the PM-6 has a decoupling switch that says "coupled" and "separate" . so i turn it down to "separate" . and then connect the Quad .

and then .....
i press BOOM !!!
:scratch2:
:thumbsdn:

2) yes... Quad and PM-6 both have original polarized plugs with those flat pins ...

is that a problem ?
PM 6 is 100v , so i use a converter transformer . which isnt too big but it works for me .
the Quad is 220v ,hence goes directly to the wall .

well , the PM 6 IS WORKING fine as i write this ...
it survived ! thanks god .

but id like to know whats goin wrong here . and why can i NOT use it with QUAD .

Is it the "input sensitivity /output impedance" thing goin mismatched ???

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I'm doing some guessing here but smoke implies some current flow where it shouldn't be, and given that you're running one on your 220v mains and the other through a converter transformer, I'm thinking you've got a grounding/floating voltage problem that's causing current flow through a signal lead. Since this could represent a safety hazard, you might want to get it checked out by a qualified tech person.

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You want to see if there are voltages between components that shouldn't be there. Get one of those reasonably priced volt/ohm/amp meters. Start on the volts setting first and connect the leads between the grounds on the two units. (For example, between the metal cases.) If you get a large voltage reading (over 40 volts) there is a potential shock hazard. Another place to check for stray voltages is between the signal pins (center on an RCA-style jack) of the two units. For all these checks, the units should be powered up but not otherwise connected to each other. You can also check between signal pins and grounds on each unit and between the two units. Any voltage readings signify problems. You might have a wire inside a case touching something it shouldn't, so if you see voltages, get the units checked out by a technician. Good luck.

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the DROID : thanks a lot .

i have a meter to check voltages . but not quite the time to do such checks . will do it over the weekend perhaps . and see what i get .

how do i follow these ,

Another place to check for stray voltages is between the signal pins (center on an RCA-style jack) of the two units. For all these checks, the units should be powered up but not otherwise connected to each other. You can also check between signal pins and grounds on each unit and between the two units.

plz elaborate ?? im a rookie

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